Amidst the chaos going on in East St. Louis, the murders, and recent teacher strike- an underground awakening is happening. Now that the smoke from the strike has cleared and students have returned to the classroom, many are calling for change. Local leaders, parents, and students are beginning to take a stand for their community- recognizing the impact they have in their own neighborhoods to make a difference. Last year Men Standing Positive spent fall 2014 on the streets of East St. Louis and in the Washington Park community doing outreach, a block party, and a conference- the movement was titled Impact East Side. This year they were invited to return to Dunbar Elementary School and host MSP Fun Fest for the students, parents, and all staff. East St. Louis Senior High School and Mason Clark Middle School have also been invited to join. The free event Saturday November 21st, 2015 from 1 pm – 4 pm includes live music by local St. Louis rap/hip-hop artists: St.Lien, Saved, and MiNiMe, DJ G on the 1’s and 2’s, a bounce house, as well as a Thanksgiving dinner,and clothing giveaway provided by the Rock Church- Soulard campus. In addition, program information will be available for those interested in job training, counseling, rehabilitation, career coaching, and more. Men Standing Positive partners with a variety of programs in St. Louis to offer extra assistance for those in need; some primary examples are Crisis Nursery, Mission St. Louis, Connections to Success, and Slate. You don’t want to miss MSP Fun Fest 2015! To RSVP click here. If you want to volunteer- please click here and send us a message- someone on our staff will contact you shortly. See you there! Let’s #ImpactEastSide together!